Between Shades of Gray

Book: Between Shades of Gray
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Pages: 336
Genre: Historic Fiction

Through out this whole book, the people are being treated like animals, so I wonder if they are Jews. However there is no sign of them being Jews, so what are they? On their trains it had written in Russian: 'vory i prostitutki' meaning thieves and prostitutes. Lina has just discovered her only friend, Andrius, is working for the Soviets, but its not any normal job, his mother is forced to work as a prostitute. Except for this, Lina and her mother have come up with a plan how to send their father a letter(wherever he might be). Since many people have surrendered and signed the paper of being captive for 25 years, they are aloud to visit the closest city, this is their plan:

• they brag the ones that have signed to send the letters
• instead of signing, Lina writes a sign that her father would recognize
• They give these people diamonds or pieces of what they have

The first letter that arrived was for Mrs.Rimas, it was her cousin,she mentioned her husband and her were starving, no one else received any letters, but hopes are still there.  Jonas has just gotten sick, Lina and her mother are taking care of him, however the Soviets do not want to pay for his health, instead they are waiting for him to die, and if Elena(the mother) and Lina don't work they won't be given food.

Life is pretty hard for the people in the "city", the commander is still trying to get them to sign the paper, I wonder what will happen to Jonas, if he will survive or if he will die before winter. I am hoping a letter will come to Lina's family, but I am guessing at the end of the book she might die because it is hard to get away from a concentration camps.